1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a method of manufacturing a helical stent having an orthogonal end relative to a longitudinal axis of the stent, as well as to a helical stent having an end that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the stent.
2. Background of the Invention
A stent is typically a hollow, generally cylindrical device that is deployed in a body lumen from a radially contracted configuration into a radially expanded configuration, which allows it to contact and support a vessel wall. A plastically deformable stent can be implanted during an angioplasty procedure by using a delivery system that includes a balloon catheter bearing a compressed or “crimped” stent, which has been loaded onto the balloon. The stent radially expands as the balloon is inflated, forcing the stent into contact with the body lumen, thereby forming a support for the vessel wall. Deployment is effected after the stent has been introduced percutaneously, transported transluminally, and positioned at a desired location by means of the balloon catheter.
Stents may be formed from wire(s), may be cut from a tube, or may be cut from a sheet of material and then rolled into a tube-like structure. While some stents may include a plurality of connected rings that are substantially parallel to each other and are oriented substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stent, others may include a helical coil that is wrapped around the longitudinal axis at a non-perpendicular angle. Helical stents tend to have ends that are not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis due to the pitch of the helix.
Other helical stents have transitions near the ends of the stent to compensate for the helical center portion of the stent, yet provide ends that are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. Because both ends of the stent are modified from the remaining pattern of the stent, it may be difficult to design a stent that has the same flexibility along the length of the stent, as well as uniform radial expansion properties.